Sunk
by ZeGabz
Summary: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to inclement weather, we ask that you all make your way to the ship's ballroom immediately. Thank you." Kensi and Deeks set sail to catch two killers, but the real threat is out of their control.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had the most random idea when I was about to go to bed a few nights ago . . . and it refused to get out of my head. So I did some research, found some old news articles . . . and here goes!** **I'll warn you guys- it gets very angsty after this chapter so enjoy the fluff while you still can. No guarantees.**

* * *

Kensi remembers making a comment long ago about for once being able to get dressed up and go out without getting shot at. Well, the same could apply to this, because right now all that she wants is to close her eyes and relax. Alas, she cannot, because she isn't on this cruise ship for fun.

If she was, she would be alone. She thinks.

She feels like a cliche, sitting next to the pool wearing one of those abnormally large sunhats, sunglasses, and a bejeweled turquoise bikini. Her hair is pulled back in a loose fishtail braid and she still has her makeup on.

She might as well have stepped out of some Hollywood movie.

"I'll Rock, Paper, Scissors you for it," pipes up her scruffy blonde partner next to her, grinning. Kensi peeks over at him from under her sunglasses, willing her eyes not to drift down to his very exposed chest.

"Deeks, I've settled this. We're brother and sister," she says.

"Kens, we look nothing alike!" he points out, and although he has a very good point she refuses to back down.

"Yeah, good thing!" Kensi tosses back.

Kensi sighs and pushes her sunglasses back up on her nose, looking out to the sea. This is her first time on a cruise ship. Not much of a surprise, when your favorite movie is Titanic, you don't go sailing often. Not that this is sailing. According to Hetty, it costs a hell of a lot more than sailing.

"Okay you two," Callen says with a chuckle through an earpiece in her ear. "That's enough."

"This isn't over," Kensi mouths to Deeks. He feigns a hurt face.

"Hey Callen," Deeks says with a smirk, "How about you decide what we'll be?"

"How about your aliases?" Callen suggests with a chuckle, "Clara Stevens and Warren Holmes." Kensi sighs.

"Well then can you just clarify to Deeks that we're just two friends on a fun cruise?" There's a long pause, and she and Deeks stare each other down, each expecting a victory come Callen's answer.

"You're a couple," Callen says, and Deeks grins widely as Kensi deflates with a groan. "Sorry Kens, but as much as you may hate it, you play the part well." Her eyes widen and she feels her cheeks growing red.

"Does she now?" Deeks asks with a grin. "Cause she _is too my type_, right?"

"Shut up!" Kensi hisses venomously, "Don't push it."

"Domestic violence alert, Callen."

"Oh, I'm not surprised," he replies through the earpiece. "Just don't forget why you're here, Deeks."

"To liase?"

"On the cruise ship," Kensi clarifies with an eye roll that he doesn't see because of her sunglasses. Deeks just grins.

"Right. Assassins or cat burglars. Happy couple. Armed and dangerous. Try and catch them and then apprehend them when we reach port," he says.

"Oh look how smart you are," Kensi says, voice dripping with sarcasm. He takes it all in stride, laughing at her and his smile reaching his eyes.

"So, back to Fiona and Mason Scott," Sam's voice comes in. "Any visuals yet?"

"Not while boarding or during the lifeboat drill," Deeks responds, "They're laying low."

"For now," Kensi adds. "We're about to go scouting, see if we can find any other locations for them to hide out."

"Okay well, get on that then," Sam says, "Eric will be here if you need him."

"Roger that," Kensi says, "Talk to you later boys." Once they're offline, Kensi turns to Deeks. "Where do you want to go, honey?" she asks, sickeningly sweet. Deeks isn't fazed (he never is), he just reaches over and takes her hand in his, his thumb tracing circles on her palm.

Oh my God, did she just shiver? No, no she did not. She most certainly did NOT shiver. Marty Deeks does not, no, _cannot_ make her shiver. She almost pulls her hand away to punch him, but she can't. Damn Deeks for taking advantage of their cover. Damn herself for actually enjoying it.

Damn it all, in fact. Yeah, that pretty much works.

"So where to, sugarbear?" he asks, his voice low and intimate and-no, no, no! She twists her hand in his and digs her nails into his palm. He just keeps smiling at her, although she can see he gets the picture. He moves his hand.

"Let's try the uh," Kensi chews on her lip, getting a little kick out of the way Deeks' eyes widen, "Adults only deck?"

"Good idea, babe," he replies in a whisper, "Want to go get changed?"

"Yeah," she says, standing up. She grabs her purse and takes (with a sigh) the arm her partner offers to her with a grin. "Don't do something you'll regret," she says through her teeth.

"Never," he whispers back with a wink. "You, however-" She shuts him up with a little pinch to his bicep.

They walk through the hallway in relative silence, Kensi doesn't even bother letting go of his arm the entire way to their stateroom. Every time she thinks about putting a comfortable distance between herself and her all too eager partner, someone appears, and she has to plaster on that stupid lovesick smile.

* * *

Back at their (slightly cramped) stateroom, Kensi digs through her drawer, trying to find something nice. Deeks has already finished changing, and is dressed in a light blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some khaki shorts.

"Are those linen?" she asks with a snicker.

"Yeah, why?" Deeks responds.

"I just didn't know that, uh," Kensi bites her bottom lip to hold back another chuckle. "-that men wear linen."

"Egyptian men did."

"You're not Egyptian," Kensi retorts, grinning openly now.

"There's nothing wrong with linen!"

"No, nothing!" Kensi agrees with a smirk, "You know, if you like wearing bedsheets."

Deeks changes the subject, his own form of surrender. "You gonna change? Or will you stay in that, ah, lovely scrap of fabric?"

"I don't think it's the _fabric_ that you're staring at," Kensi quips as she finally finds a nice sundress, a short black strapless dress peppered with tiny bright orange and golden wildflowers. She has a nice pair of black sandals that will go nicely with it.

Once in the bathroom, she takes her hair out of the braid and fluffs it out. Her sunglasses have long been discarded back on the bed she and Deeks are going to have to discuss later. She slips out of the bathing suit, into some underwear, and into, finally, the sundress. She gives herself a quick once-over in the mirror and smirks. Deeks will have his no doubt embarrassing reaction coming.

"You know, Kens, that pool girl? The redhead? If we weren't supposed to be in love, I think I might have a shot . . . with her-" he trails off, his mouth hanging open as Kensi emerges, eyebrows arched.

"You were saying?"

"I-uh . . ." His mouth appears to have gone dry. Kensi doesn't even try and hide her self-satisfied smirk as she puts up her swimsuit and grabs a straw fedora with a black ribbon and places it on her head.

"That what I thought," she says, walking to the door. "You coming?" Wordlessly, he rises and takes her arm in hiss, not even asking for permission.

She really shouldn't be enjoying this so much. She's practically encouraging it. Not even practically, she's picking her dresses just to drive him crazy. And she really shouldn't. Partners just don't do that. Granted, lots of people have middle-aged bald men as their partners, but even so . . . Deeks is Deeks, and she can't tease him. She can't have fun teasing him. She shouldn't even be considering teasing him.

The adults-only deck is very quiet. Kensi almost doesn't recognize a couple she spots without the five small children she's seen hustling around them. Deeks leads her to the balcony and the two look out over the sea. The waves seem so small from the height they're at, and Kensi finds it humbling to see how vast the ocean really is compared to she and Deeks.

"Big waves," Deeks remarks, "The waters are usually calmer."

"What's the forecast?" Kensi asks. Deeks pulls out his phone and checks some weather app he bragged about buying two weeks ago.

"Thirty percent chance of thunderstorms, isolated at most," he reads, looking up at the sky, which is covered by a thin veil of gray, wispy clouds.

Kensi stares at the sky, eyes narrowed. Odd how the sky can still be so bright when it's covered by clouds. She feels Deeks looking at her and she turns to face him. He opted against sunglasses so his gentle blue gaze is clear as day and unabashedly appreciating the easy smile that has appeared on her face. Moments like this, without any sexual tension, without physical closeness, these moments are the most dangerous. Moments where it's just them enjoying each other, even without the excuse of their banter.

"Like what you see?" she quips gently, nudging him.

"You should wear your hair down more often," Deeks murmurs, "Brings out your eyes."

"You my personal stylist now?" she teases. He winks at her.

"If I was, you'd be wearing much-" he gives her a quick once-over and she pokes him in the chest scathingly. "-_much _less." He chuckles and suddenly his eyes focus in on something beyond her.

"What is it?" Kens asks in a hushed whisper. Deeks reaches his hand up to his ear, activating his earpiece. A few moments later, Kensi reaches up and does the same, frowning. "Deeks, seriously, what-"

"Eric, you on?" Deeks asks, leaning against the railing. His eyes remain fixed on something past Kensi.

"Yeah, what's up?" comes Eric's voice.

"I think I have a visual. I'm going to get a photo and text it to you, got it?"

"Got it."

"A visual on our couple?" Kensi whispers. Deeks nods, pulling out his phone. "How far are they?"

"About fifteen feet," Deeks says. "Smile, honeybabe." Kensi pulls out the cutest smile she can muster as Deeks snaps his picture and then sends it over to Eric. "Want to see?" he asks her. God, he's so good at undercover work. She skips over to him happily, glancing at the phone screen.

"Got it, running through facial rec now," Eric's voice comes through. Kensi peers at the phone screen.

"That's definitely the Scotts," she says. Fiona Scott, born in Romania, is a born and raised gymnast who failed to qualify for the Olympics years ago and found solace in her husband- a seasoned burglar with an unforgiving tendency to fire his weapon at anyone he doesn't like. Kensi can tell it's Fiona by her flowing dark brown hair, long and straight and her piercing gray eyes.

"Kens," Deeks murmurs, and Kensi inclines her head to look up at him. Mistake. She's forgotten how close they're standing, and her lips just barely miss brushing against his.

"Hm?" she murmurs, not looking into his eyes.

"They're looking over at us."

"Cover kiss?" she murmurs, her hands trembling slightly. He chuckles. How in the world can he be so blase about this? She doesn't exactly offer up cover kisses for fun. His arm wraps around her shoulder and her eyes close as he leans in.

He surprises (he does not disappoint her, she's not some kind of child) her by pressing the kiss to her cheek, taking his sweet time with slowly pressing his lips into her skin before pulling back slowly.

"I think that will cover it," he murmurs, and she flashes a radiant smile at him in an attempt to mask how rattled she really is.

"Did you kiss her?" Eric asks, voice crackling with amusement and something akin to hope. She'll have to glare at him for that when she returns.

"No," Kensi clarifies, "No he did not."

"So are you going to stay with the suspects then?"

"As long as we can, I guess," Deeks answers, eyes scouting out a place for them to sit. He gestures over to a long reclining chair in the shade, near to the Scotts. Kensi goes over to it and lays down, lifting her legs up. Deeks takes the hint with a grin and sits down. She lets her legs rest on his lap and closes her eyes.

"Okay, contact me if you have anything new. Callen and Sam are busy on this new case and have got Nell and I busy."

"We won't keep you," Kensi says before turning off her earpiece. Deeks does the same before leaning back against the wall the chair is adjacent to.

"Well . . ."

She narrows her eyes, suspicious of the glint in his blue orbs. "Well?"

"This is cozy," he comments snidely, wagging his eyebrows at her playfully. She snorts at him, eyes rolling.

"I'm sure it is, honey."

"Your nicknames could use some work though," Deeks quips, "I mean, honey is overused enough."

"What would you rather I call you?" Kensi asks, smirking. "Barbie? D-bag?"

"Oh, back to that, are we?" He rests a hand on her knee and traces the bone with his thumb, making Kensi's eyes go wide.

"Yo-your idea," she stammers, "I can go on, if you w-want." That's pretty much a lie, considering the way his stroking thumb on her leg is slowly turning her thoughts to little more than mush. Deeks smirks at her, seeing right through the brave face she tries putting on.

"Okay. Hit me with your best shot, Princess."

"_De_linquent-"

"That the best you got?" he asks, laughing

"_De_-sgusting-"

"Ouch," he chuckles.

"_De_-manding-"

"That's kinds dirty, actually," he says, wagging his eyebrows at her.

She arches an eyebrow at him. "De-lerious." He grins, she's got him there, and they both know it. "Now get your hand off my leg."

"Don't want to," he deadpans, his face innocent, eyes sparkling with humor.

"Too bad," Kensi responds, shaking her leg and swatting his hand off. "Because if you would have kept that hand there any longer-"

"You would have burst with desire?" Deeks finishes. Kensi almost punches him, but remembers at the last minute that she has to retain her cover. She just smiles sweetly at him.

"You'll pay for that one back in our room," she murmurs, chewing her bottom lip and batting her eyelashes at Deeks, who suddenly seems to have forgotten what air is. "You okay, baby? Cat got your tongue?"

This whole seduction thing is a hell of a lot of fun, but she has this lingering feeling that it will bite her in the ass sooner or later.

"I-uh-it's windy out," Deeks finally stammers, "We should go inside." Kensi allows a slow smile to spread across her face, gingerly lifting her legs off of Deeks' lap and standing up. Deeks stands up as well, and Kensi notices the still slightly awed expression he's wearing.

Yeah, this is not partner-friendly behavior. But it's far too fun to put an end to.

* * *

"You clean up nice, you know," Deeks says before taking a bite of his chicken breast. Kensi raises her eyebrows at him.

"And?"

"And that's it. Just a compliment, Kens." Kensi still doesn't believe he wasn't going to punctuate the comment with a quip, and she sees he can tell. "Seriously. Can't I compliment you without an ulterior motive?"

"You never compliment a woman without an ulterior motive," Kensi points out.

"Yeah, well I can compliment you because you're not my type," Deeks says, "So you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Kensi narrows her eyes at him, not liking the pang in her stomach at her partner's teasing words.

"Judging from the way you can't keep your hands to yourself today, I'd say that is an outright lie," she responds, "And the way your eyes drift downwards and to the left when you say I'm not your type."

"Stop showing off, Wikipedia," Deeks mutters, taking another bite of chicken. Kensi grins. A slight rumbling sound echoes through the dining hall.

"So I'm right, then?" she asks, grinning.

"Never said that," he replies quickly, his eyes drifting downward.

"You inferred it." And to the left they go.

"I'm a direct guy, Kens."

"And you're not a good liar, either."

"I'm a better liar than you are," he points out, smirking.

"Keep telling yourself that," Kensi mutters begrudgingly.

"I will, thank you very much," Deeks says victoriously, "Because it's true." Kensi huffs and reaches for a roll, chomping off a piece under her partner's amused gaze. She stares him down with challenging eyes.

"If you don't mind," she says, defiantly grabbing her fork, "I'd like to eat in peace and quiet." She narrows her eyes at her bemused partner. "Can you manage that?" Deeks pretends to seriously contemplate her question, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yeah, think so," he answers finally, "Anything for my awesomely hot girlfriend."

"You're such a poet," Kensi mutters, rolling her eyes. They eat in a comfortable silence, which is weird. Kensi had figured telling Deeks to keep quiet would only make hi, talk more. Not that she wanted him to. No, she doesn't enjoy his teasing, because that would be-

Her thoughts disappear completely when she suddenly feels something brush against her ankle. She freezes mid-bite and looks up at her partner, who is looking back at her innocently.

"Deeks?" she hisses. He raises his eyebrows.

"Yup?"

"Stop," she says slowly, eyes shooting daggers. His foot leaves her ankle and trails up her calf. Her eyes widen and she kicks him

"I'm keeping quiet!" he says defensively, a smile teasing at his lips.

"You're keeping quiet very loudly."

She's surprised when the ground suddenly lurches to the side, knocking her wine glass into her lap. If she wasn't so unnerved by the slight rumble of thunder she hears after it, she would have cursed under her breath.

"What the hell-" she hisses, picking up her spilled wine glass and setting it back on the table. "Deeks, pass me a napkin?".

"Use your own!"

"Already have!" Deeks chuckles at the pout present in her voice and hands her his napkin, grinning. "Thank you," she says begrudgingly. The ship lurches again, this time a little more violently, knocking a few plates to the ground. She hears a few frightened screams from some of the more . . . delicate passengers.

Kensi grips the table tightly to keep from lurching over, feeling a little disoriented.

"Thirty percent huh?" she huffs, glaring at Deeks.

"Never said I was the weatherman!" he tosses back. She's about to snap back at him when the ship tilts again, sending her skidding into the table.

"We should get to our room," she says, "Get our stuff and all."

"Kens, our room looks like a hurricane blew through it without the help of this storm," Deeks says, chuckling, as he stands up. The floor rocks slightly, making him stumble.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Kensi snaps, standing as well and making her way over to him. They begin exiting the dining hall and speed walk towards the elevator, hoping the beat the crowd of complaining rich passengers. Deeks presses the "up" button and the ship seems to steady for a moment.

"Check your phone for the weather!" Kensi says. "Now!"

"So impatient," Deeks chuckles, pulling out his phone as the elevator doors open with a ding. Kensi stalks into the elevator, not even looking at Deeks.

She hopes he can't sense her unease. Despite being a member of a naval service, she's never been fond of boats. She thought a cruise ship would be steady enough, but of course she gets on the one stupid enough to sail into a storm.

The shop rocks again as the elevator door closes, knocking Kensi against the wall and Deeks off of his feet.

"How is it we got on this boat?" Kensi huffs, "This isn't normal, right?" The ship then veers in the opposite direction, sending Kensi to the ground, rolling to the other end. Deeks grabs her arm before she can tumble into the wall.

"I thought you liked thrills," Deeks says breathlessly, pulling her over to him as the ship slowly tilts again, sending them both sliding in a heap to the other side of the elevator.

The door opens and Kensi stumbles up, pulling her partner up after her. They rush out of the elevator, making it to the other side of the hallway when the ship lurches again, sending Kensi tumbling into the wall and Deeks right after her.

She knows the second after she turns her body to rest her back against the wall that she's made a mistake. Deeks' arms are resting on the wall on either side of her, and his face only inches away. She knows he went to the wall for balance, but right now she couldn't be farther from it. Forget a rocky ship, her mind is in chaos now, thrown off completely by his proximity and the storminess in his eyes that match the weather outside. His eyes flit down to her lips and then back to meet her own eyes, dark with conflicted desires.

She shouldn't want to kiss him right now. She shouldn't be having trouble finding air to breathe and she certainly shouldn't be so dazed by the ways their breaths are mingling.

The ship rocks again, sending her falling into his chest and knocking them to the floor, catching her off guard. She lays on top of him, and briefly flashes back to a similar position they were in a little over a year ago, after blowing up a room full of lasers.

"I could get used to this," Deeks jokes, breaking the tense silence between them.

"Oh yeah?" she breathes, "I have a feeling I don't want to know what's running through your head right now."

"In my head, we're not exactly running . . ." She doesn't get the chance to punch him because the ship tilts again, this time knocking Kensi off of her likely bruised partner. She lands in a somewhat sitting position.

"Help me up," she grunts to Deeks, who has managed to regain his footing. He smirks at her.

"I don't know, you sitting like Cleopatra is actually kind of hot-" the ship interrupts him yet again sending him into the wall. Kensi scrambles up and looks down at Deeks victoriously.

"You were saying?" she asks, grinning and holding an arm out to him. He takes it and allows her to pull him up right as the ship lurches again, knocking them both against the wall, their noses bumping.

_Again? Really?_

"I think you're planning this," she whispers, attempting to use Deeks' trick of using humor to break the tension that has once again erupted between them like a flame. Deeks grins and nuzzles her playfully.

"That so?" he murmurs, "Because if I remember correctly, _you're_ the one who pulled me over."

"I was trying to pull you up," she snaps, finally meeting his gaze with a challenge in her eyes. Her nose brushes his, and any other witty remark she might have made is lost in a wave of . . . something. She wonders if he's doing this on purpose- trying to throw her off her game, or if he just can't help himself.

"Keep telling yourself that," he whispers, taking the words from their earlier argument and turning them against her. "But I think you just want to kiss me."

She desperately hopes he's just joking or teasing her. Because if he really thinks that, if he really can read her so well . . . she's in trouble.

She opens her mouth to reply but is interrupted by a voice coming from the ceiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to inclement weather, we ask that you all make your way to the ship's ballroom immediately. Thank you."

* * *

**Yes, the rocking cruise ship can actually happen! I was watching "Weather Caught on Camera" on the Weather Channel and wow, what a scary thing! Poor Kensi and Deeks . . .**

**Anyways, review review review! Expect more in the coming days, and I hope you've enjoyed this so far! Check out my Tumblr for sneak peeks! Love always,**

**-Gab**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Merp! I totally forgot to mention this story takes place after 3x21- Touch of Death! Apologies, dear readers, and muchas gracias to a reviewer for pointing it out to me. I will say this- the ending goes a bit out of canon, so to speak. Not saying how . . . you'll find out soon enough. ;)**

**As always, your reviews mean the world to me! I'm glad to have you all intrigued! This chapter refused to write itself, so I hope I didn't completely flub this one up haha. One more chapter after this!**

* * *

"I think this shade of orange suits me. What about you?" Deeks turns to face Kensi, eyes teasing as the ship rocks again, sending the unlucky passengers not hiding in a secluded corner sliding into a wall. Kensi turns to look up at her partner, whose arms are wrapped securely around her. For safety purposes only. Obviously.

"I think it adds a few pounds," she hisses as the ship rocks them back into their corner and a group of twenty-somethings into a grouchy elderly couple. "Still have a visual on the Scotts?"

The Scotts had the same idea as them and are huddled in the opposite corner in a very different position. Fiona sits in her husband's lap and her arms are snaked around his neck. They've been kissing nonstop for the ten minutes they've been in this ballroom.

"They're making due," Deeks replies, chuckling. "Want to follow their lead? Or have you lost that lovin' feeling?"

"Stop talking? Please?" Kensi hisses as the ship tilts to the right and she and Deeks slide away from their corner before steadying. She doesn't know why he keeps having to bringing the almost-kiss or whatever it was and never will be up again, but he's damn persistent. Typical Deeks, and it's bugging the hell out of her. She has enough on her mind.

"They're at it again," Deeks snickers, tightening his grip on her. She pinches him in the side in retaliation and he only snickers more. "You sure you-"

"Yes, I'm very, very sure!" Kensi snaps. He's unfazed, still laughing. Is he feeling at least a little nervous? Because Kensi's feeling borderline freaked out right now, and a little seasick. She certainly won't tell Deeks though, else she have to put up with his jokes about her working for the Navy and not being able to handle a few rough waves.

These aren't a few rough waves. A few rough waves wouldn't force the crew to collect the passengers together with bulky orange life jackets. So he has no right to tease her.

He will anyways, so she keeps her mouth shut.

The ship rocks violently, knocking Kensi and Deeks hard to the right, and Kensi lets out a yelp as her head slams into the unforgiving wall.

"Dammit," she mutters, an arm coming up to rub where she hit her head. Deeks shifts her in his arms until she's facing him.

"You okay, Kens?" he asks seriously.

"Just peachy," she responds sharply, rubbing her head. Deeks moves closer, trying to get a better look and she swats him away. "Seriously, Deeks, I'm fine."

"At least let me see it," he implores, looking into her eyes. She sighs, but acquiesces his request, angling her head so Deeks can examine it. She thinks she feels a bump forming.

"Will I live?" she quips. Deeks doesn't reply, and for a short moment a flash of panic goes through her in the form of a shiver, which doesn't escape his notice.

"I'll make sure you live either way," he murmurs softly, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. It's oddly intimate, and Kensi can't help but feel very warm. Which is not good, because it only sends another shiver coursing through her.

"You cold?" Deeks asks as the ship rocks to the left, sending them sliding into open ground. Kensi grips his arms in a deathly tight manner, her eyes fluttering closed, wanting to block everything out.

* * *

_"Look at all of the happy couples," Deeks murmurs in Kensi's ear, his arm snaking around her waist. She shoves him away, rolling her eyes. He is so not getting away with that trick. No freaking way._

_"I know, bro. It's positively sickening," she hisses pointedly._

_"Going with that one again, babe?" he snorts, his arm finding its way back to her waist. She pinches it, but to no avail. He's grown resilient. He's used to her pinches by now._

_"Incest is illegal in the United States," Kensi snaps, removing his arm again._

_"We're not brother and sister, Kens."_

_"Yes we-"_

_"But seriously," Deeks interrupts, glancing around. "Why go on a cruise for a vacation when you could just go to some seaside resort?" Kensi laughs._

_"Does it personally offend you that some people don't want to deal with surfer types like you?" she quips. "Because unlike you, some of us have this thing called personal space."_

_"Says the woman who presses against me before every gunfight and tackles me on a weekly basis," Deeks snorts. "Riiiight."_

_"I tackle you to save your ass," Kensi retorts, "So don't tempt me to not do it again."_

_"What, you don't like hospital jello?" Deeks jokes. Kensi's humor falls away slightly and her eyes darken. She doesn't like thinking about Deeks in the hospital much. It doesn't feel right, him without a joke and a smile and in pain. Complimenting her. When it was her fault in the first place. "Kens? I was joking-"_

_"I know," she interjects. "But as for going on a cruise . . . I agree. If I were on a honeymoon, I know where I would want to go."_

_"Where?" Deeks asks curiously. She winks at him._

_"Alaska."_

_"Alaska?" he repeats incredulously, "As in Alaska, Alaska?"_

_"No, Deeks, the Alaska in Africa," Kensi deadpans._

_"There's an Alaska in-"_

_"Sarcasm!" She rolls her eyes. "How are you a detective again?"_

_"My gorgeous locks and sharp wit," he replies effortlessly. "But why Alaska?"_

_Kensi smirks. "Think about it, Deeks. It's cold. It's snowing out. We're-"_

_"We?"_

_"My hypothetical husband and I," she corrects, narrowing her eyes at Deeks. "Don't get happy on me."_

_"Just making sure," he chuckles, "Go on."_

_"We-my husband and I-" Kensi's smile falters slightly as a name-Jack-flashes through her mind, but she sighs and goes on. "We're sitting by the fireplace, roasting marshmallows together. We're wrapped in a single blanket-"_

_"I'm really liking this fantasy of yours," Deeks says with a rolls her eyes._

_"Don't, 'cause it's not you in that blanket," she says before continuing. "-and we watch Top Model until we fall asleep in each others' arms." Deeks grins._

_"So you're a sucker for cuddlers, huh? You know Kens, I've been told that I'm a very good cuddler."_

_"And they say nothing about the events that precede the cuddling?" Kensi quips. "Typical. Don't see how they could compliment you on-"_

_"I'll have you know they compliment me on every aspect of our . . . time together."_

_"Wouldn't expect more from yoga bunnies," Kensi snorts. "They don't exactly have the highest of standards."_

_"I might have found a few exceptions to your little stereotype if you hadn't made them think I was cheating on you with your brother," he pouts. Kensi just winks at him, not regretting that genius move at all and knowing she never will. Well, until he gets his revenge, that is. She looks back over at him and sees that he's a little pale._

_"Are you-are you seasick, Deeks?" she asks jovially, highly amused. He gives her a scathing look._

_"I'm not seasick, I just like the beach better."_

_"Shouldn't you be used to the waves?" She hesitates, and then decides to milk this new weakness she's found for all it's worth. "Waves . . . going up and down, rocking and rocking and rocking-"_

_"Okay, fine, I'm seasick!" Deeks interjects, eyes wide. "So please for the love of God, don't make me sick!" Kensi smirks._

_"I don't plan to. God forbid I have to cuddle you in your misery."_

* * *

She should have knocked on wood, Kensi thinks as she huddles in Deeks' arms in their dark little corner of the ballroom. The Scotts have a similar idea that involves a lot more lip action, but Kensi isn't quite so desperate to shut out the violent rocking of the ship or the flashes of lightning and crackles of thunder.

The waves are beginning to lessen up, she and Deeks are managing to keep a somewhat stable perch.

Deeks' arms are surprisingly strong. They don't bulge with muscle like Sam's, but Kensi's surprised by how firmly they are holding her to him. She doesn't mind being pressed into his side right now- he's the only steady thing on this stupid boat.

Quite frankly, he's one of the only steady things in her life. Cases come and go, and up until now so have her partners, but ever since Deeks came into the picture she's had something that resembles permanence. He's very steady, always there with a joke when she needs one, always knowing what she's thinking. It bothers her most of the time, having him know her so well, but right now she couldn't be more grateful for his initiative.

"We'll be okay, Kens," he murmurs, "It's just some rain. And some wind. At sea."

"Not helping," she snaps, groaning and burying her head, still a bit sore from an earlier wave, in his muscular shoulder. "You're not gonna go seasick on me again, are you?"

"Nah," he mutters weakly, "I'm more dizzy than nauseous."

"That supposed to comfort me?" she murmurs, not quite in the mood for rolling her eyes at the moment.

"Does it?"

"Not really."

"Then no," he says with a teasing grin.

It's funny how in a split second before disaster, everything stills. Seconds drag on and your mind and body steels itself for whatever is going to happen. Things that were previously a blur are suddenly crystal clear, and after, you swear you felt it coming.

The next violent shake is of a completely different sort. It's as if the ship skids and then lurches, a large-scale equivalent of scraping your nails on a chalkboard. Kensi latches herself onto Deeks as screams erupt throughout the ballroom.

* * *

"Do we have an update from Kensi and Deeks?" Sam asks back in Los Angeles. "That's a pretty nasty storm at sea." Eric types away at the keyboard as Nell walks in holding a stack of weather reports.

"Haven't been able to get a decent signal," Eric replies, "I've tried boosting it twice, but that storm's really strong and I can't get through to them. Not unless they turn their coms on, that might be enough to contact them."

"Keep trying," Callen commands, "I want an update within the hour." He turns to Sam. "We should go. We still have paperwork to finish and Hetty will have our heads if it isn't done by today." He turns to Nell and Eric and fixes them with a searing gaze. "Don't stop trying to contact them. Get us right away when you do."

With that, he and Sam exit Ops, and Nell sits down next to Eric, who has gone back to his furious typing.

"Waves are estimated to be from thirty to even sixty feet," Nell says seriously, "Eric, what if-"

"They can handle themselves," Eric says quickly. An alert pops up on his screen and Nell leans in closer. "The storm is almost past them," he says, breathing a sigh of relief. "They should be in the clear in five minutes." Nell turns back to her computer and then pales.

"I wouldn't worry about the storm, Eric."

"Well yeah, like I said, it's-"

"No, Eric," Nell interrupts, pulling him over. "The Captain has just sent out an SOS. The ship has grounded."

"What does that mean?" Eric asks in a hushed whisper.

Nell frowns. "It means, with the wind and waves . . . the ship could capsize at any moment."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. The ship has grounded, and is now deemed unsafe. We ask that you all report to your muster stations and follow the lifeboat procedures practiced earlier today. If you have any worries or questions, please ask a crew member. We repeat, please report to your muster stations immediately. This is not a drill."

For a moment, the ballroom is in complete silence. Kensi's face grows white and Deeks pulls her closer to him, as if to shield her from their now unsafe ship. She can't even bring herself to mind. Screw boundaries, they will not do shit for her in this situation. All she has is Deeks.

"Silver lining would be nice right about now," she hisses to Deeks.

"We've finally leaped into each others' arms?" he offers cheekily. She snorts, but smiles nonetheless. "I know it's not as profound as 'Everything's gonna be fine', but it's pretty good, huh?" She smiles.

"Sure, Deeks, sure." They stand up and decide to wait until most of the crowds have squeezed through the ballroom doors. Waiting is better than being trampled, they conclude. Deeks keeps his eyes on the Scotts, who have not let go of each other this entire time. They seem to have the same idea as them, and remain in their corner as the families and couples rush to exit first.

"Have you tried contacting Eric and Nell?" Kensi asks. Deeks' eyes widen. "I'll take that as a no."

"The storm's weakening," Deeks observes, "Want to try?" Kensi nods and they both reach to their earpieces, pressing them on. For a moment, they only receive static, but then-

_"K-kens-Deeks-you-there?"_ Kensi can barely make out Eric's voice as it comes through, mingled with static.

"We're on. Eric, tell us what's going on?"

"_S-storm . . . grounded-ship-could capsize-abandon-mission-off NOW."_ Kensi turns to Deeks with wide eyes.

"We'll contact you later, Eric," Deeks says quickly before disconnecting. "We've got to get going." Kensi turns off her earpiece and grabs his arm.

"Deeks," she whispers, "The Scotts are heading out. We need to get going now." Deeks nods and together, the two set off swiftly after the Scotts, towards their muster stations.

Their station is on the fifth deck, and is mainly occupied by couples. Families have their own station and singles have their own. Kensi and Deeks take their place in line behind the other frightened couples.

* * *

_"There's a dance going on at the top deck," Deeks says, popping his head into their bedroom from the bathroom, "Want to go?" Kensi glances up from the magazine she'd decided to flip through and her eyes almost pop out of her head. Deeks emerges fully into their bedroom, clad only in a pair of loose jogging shorts. His skin looks very soft and is still slightly moist from-_

_"You're staring," he says with a smug and playful grin, "I don't really blame you, I'm as good as they come." Kensi realizes her mouth has fallen open and shuts it defiantly._

_"I'm going to regret asking this-"_

_"I'm more muscled than you though, aren't I?"_

_"-but why the hell are you standing in front of me without a shirt?" she finishes, willing her eyes to remain on his face and not give him the satisfaction of seeing her eyes drift . . . down . . . to his chest . . . his muscular chest . . ._

_"I forgot to bring one into the shower," he replies, smirking. "Want to pick one out for me?"_

_"Ever heard of boundaries, Deeks?" she asks._

_"Yeah, doesn't mean I pay any attention to them."_

_"I can see that."_

_"Would be hard for you not to, huh?" Kensi rolls her eyes and nods._

_"Considering you never heed them? Yeah, it would certainly be hard for me not to notice." Deeks wags his eyebrows at her._

_"Not to notice . . . what exactly?" he asks._

_She sends him a warning glance. "Don't push it."_

_"I would never," he says, eyes widening innocently. She snorts._

_"And yet you always do."_

_He grins. "What can I say? I walk to the beat of my own drum."_

_"Well, your drum is broken. Go fix it." She realizes too late that she's left herself wide open for one of Deeks' stupid-_

_"You want to help with that, Kens?"_

_"In your dreams," she replies._

_He doesn't miss a beat. "You think about my dreams?"_

_"All the time," she replies with a smirk, throwing him off guard. "I'm always hoping they're not about me."_

_"Lying doesn't suit you, you know."_

_"Neither does being an immature idiot, and yet you do it anyways."_

_"Aw, don't be like that. You love the way I look," he says with a confident smile. "You like my hair, you like my eyes, you like my muscles, you like my arms-"_

_"Are you just using this an excuse to let out your inner vanity?" Kensi asks, exasperated._

_Deeks winks. "Nothing wrong with a little confidence. So, do you wanna go?" Kensi coughs._

_"Go?"_

_"To the dance," Deeks clarifies, laughing. "And you say my mind is in the gutter."_

_"Shut up," Kensi mutters. "And yeah, I'll go dancing. But since you're my brother, don't do anything gross."_

_"You're not letting that go, are you?"_

_"Never."_

* * *

It's only drizzling now, and Kensi supposes the waters would be fairly calm if their ship was still relying on them. Beside her, Deeks holds her hand and traces random shapes on her palm with his thumb, humming aimlessly and constantly glancing back over at her, as if to check to see if she is alright.

She shivers, not knowing whether the sudden chill is from their close proximity or the fact that she's drenched and in the wind, which is chilled without the warmth of daylight to counteract it.

"You okay?" Deeks asks, feeling her shiver. His hand lets hers go and his arm moves to wrap around her shoulder. "Your hand is freezing, you know."

"So is yours," she retorts before sneezing.

"Bless you," says a woman in front of them, her soft gray eyes puffy from crying and her thin blonde hair framing her thin and wet face.

"Thank you," Kensi murmurs, leaning into Deeks as he pulls her closer, pressing a daring kiss on her hair. She can't bring herself to berate him or suppress another shudder that she knows has nothing to do with her current state.

"You two on your honeymoon?" the blonde asks, blinking rapidly.

Kensi turns to glance at Deeks. "Um-"

"We're not engaged," Deeks replies with a small smile. "Yet."

He's saying it for cover, he's saying it for cover, Kensi tells herself, hoping the blonde woman doesn't catch the flash of panic that tears into her expression.

The woman blushes. "Oh. Well, I'm here with my fiancé- Rick." She nudges a slim man next to her, who turns around and gives her a kiss on the cheek before extending a hand to Deeks in greeting. He does the same for Kensi after Deeks shakes the offered hand.

There's really nothing left to talk about- the line is moving quickly so the blonde and her fiancé turn back and Kensi and Deeks are left in silence.

The rain picks up again and Kensi hears a few panicked shrieks from the lifeboats that haven't reached the visible shore yet. She can feel the ice cold rain hitting her skin like needles, and she's grateful when Deeks wraps his other arm around her and pulls her into an embrace.

"This better just be because of our c-c-cover," Kensi mumbles into his chest, "Or I'll toss you out of the lifeboat."

"Don't pretend like you don't enjoy it," he replies in a whisper at her ear.

"Do you?"

"Yeah." She moves her head from his chest and looks at him in surprise. Feeling it is one thing. Admitting it is a whole other ballgame. "What? You're warm."

"I don't feel warm," she mutters, flopping her head back onto his muscled chest. "You're not very cuddly right now."

"So you _are_ a cuddler, then?"

"It's none of your business," Deeks says, but before he can say anything else the ship rocks, as if crashing downwards, and then silts to the right. It's not enough for Kensi and Deeks to slip, although a few others lose their balance.

It gives the crew a greater sense of urgency and the line begins moving at a far quicker pace.

"Kens," Deeks murmurs, "Five o'clock. Mason Scott." Kensi angles her head and sees Mason Scott leaving his wife's side and slipping into a small hallway. "I should go after him." Kensi's eyes widen and she moves her arms from his chest to wrap around his waist. Silent communication- she's not letting him leave.

"Deeks, this ship could capsize-" she's interrupted by a loud clap of thunder, "-at any moment. What if you get lost?"

"I don't get lost," he breathes.

"What if he's armed?"

"I am too." She's running out of arguments.

"We were told to abort the mission, Deeks. We're done." He sighs.

"That was when they hadn't done anything suspicious yet. Kens, what if they have sensitive information? What if he's going to grab the target?" His intense eyes bore into hers and she blinks rapidly to get rid of the rain. "Kens, you stay here and keep an eye on his wife. I'll go. Simple as that."

"Deeks, the ship!" As if to prove her point, the ship lurches and a large wave slams into the ship's hull, making it shake. "You might go down with it, Deeks. These waves are going to topple it over."

"Maybe it's safer than a lifeboat."

"And you're gonna toss me on one alone? Nice to know."

"That-that came out wrong. Let me start over-"

"Deeks, just stay with me." She tightens her grip. "Don't do this. Don't go down with this ship."

"I can't risk an innocent person's life or national security," he murmurs.

"Look at you, thinking like an agent," she whispers, her words almost getting drowned out by the rain now pouring down.

"I learned from the best," he replies softly, pressing his hand on her cheek. She can't help it, she leans into the touch, praying anything she'll do will convince him not to be so damn stupid.

"Don't go," she whispers, begging now, and unable to bring herself to feel any shame.

"I'm sorry." With those words, Deeks pulls her face to his and their lips meet for a brief moment, a firm yet brief touch.

She's unprepared for the wave of desperation and emotion the simple contact brings into the forefront of her thoughts. She's been pushing them back ever since he first joined the team, has been denying the fact that their teasing goes beyond what's normal, the fact that the butterflies shouldn't be there.

She wouldn't have noticed if the ship went down at that moment. There's no more rain, no more cold, no more ocean- there's only this kiss, this moment, this frustrating man who wants to risk everything for his job.

Her hands tangle in his hair and she uses this kiss as her last resort, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He responds with as much overwhelming eagerness and desire as she pours into the kiss, a hand moving to the nape of her neck and the other resting on her waist. He's done it way too many times in the past few days but this-this is oh so very different.

He pulls back enough to rest his forehead against hers, and neither one of them can bring themselves to say anything for a moment.

"Don't go," she repeats softly. He shakes his head sadly.

"Don't worry Fern," he whispers, his lips brushing against hers. "I'll be back."

* * *

**Ah, but will he? Will this story end like Titanic? Reviews do make me write faster, you know ;)**

**-Gab**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: One of my Tumblr readers said this story gave them a nightmare about drowning on the Titanic. Well, I hope my story doesn't rub off on all of YOU so hard, but that was definitely the most amusing message/review I have ever gotten. I feel kind of guilty, but . . . hey, you all took the risk, didn't ya?**

**And here you go! The conclusion! Don't skip to the end to see if he survives or not, it will ruin the chapter. Truuuust me.**

* * *

He can't believe he just did that. When he returns, Kensi will kill him. And then bring him back to life so she can slap him and then kill him again.

It's all about figuring out what she'll be killing him for.

He doesn't regret kissing her. He's wanted to for a very, very long time and he knew that if that was the last time he was ever going to see her, he didn't want any regrets. But if this Mason Scott man gets the better of him, Kensi will never forgive him. He doubts she'll forgive him if he makes it back alive anyways.

He has his gun at ready, but still feels exposed without his partner at his side, watching his six.

He's still on the same deck Kensi's on, and he believes he saw Scott turn to the right before disappearing into the shadows. He moves stealthily after him, but almost jumps when his ear comes alive with noise.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Can't talk right now," he whispers, "In pursuit."

"Good," replies her voice, "Then you're going to listen."

"Fine."

"You had NO right to do that, to leave me over here! The line is almost up Deeks, and I swear if you aren't back I'm going in on my own, and if I have to do that, I'm going to kick your ass back at HQ. What were you thinking? We were told to abort, if something happens to you I don't even know if NCIS can take care of-"

"Kens, I-" Deeks doesn't get the chance to finish, because her voice is cut off by gunfire. Directed right at him.

* * *

Sunrises after a storm are always beautiful. Pale oranges mingle with soft pinks and muted oranges, only interrupted by cool purple clouds. But Kensi can't bring herself to appreciate the untainted beauty of a new day when the events of the previous one are still at the forefront of her thoughts.

A woman was smart enough to bring a few blankets with her before reaching the boats, so Kensi's wrapped in the warm gray wool blanket offered to her. The lifeboat is completely enclosed with one small window, and Kensi's grateful she managed to get the seat next to it.

She's fairly certain she'll have a bad cold after this- she's just managed to sort of dry off. Her hair is tangled and clinging to her face in messy waves. And there are tears escaping from her eyes.

An old woman sits next to her, humming the song As Time Goes By from the old movie Casablanca, which only makes Kensi's tears flow more freely. She spent a night with Deeks watching that movie before spending the night on his couch.

"Miss?" Kensi glances up, noticing the old woman has stopped her humming and is looking at her with concerned green eyes. "I couldn't help but notice you're crying, sweetie. Would you like to talk?" Kensi shakes her head, keeping her gaze fixed firmly out the window. "Sweetheart-" the woman tries again, "Before getting on the boats, I noticed you with a young man. Where is he?"

Kensi has to shut her eyes to hold back the fresh wave of tears that come at the mention of her stupid, stupid partner. "I-I don't know," she whispers brokenly.

"Are you two a couple?" the old woman presses, placing a hand on Kensi's shoulder, which she shrugs off. "The way you two were- it reminds me of how my husband and Iwere at your age."

"No," Kensi replies softly, "We're not a couple." The woman watches her for a long moment.

"Did you want to be?"

Kensi opens her mouth to deny it, but no words come out as she thinks of the kiss he gave her before walking away. Leaving her all alone on a sinking ship and going off to be a hero. She almost went after him before again catching sight of Fiona and remembering Deeks' request. By then, a crew member stood standing in the hallway entrance blocked her way and she had been unable to pursue him and drag his ass back to safety.

She felt like hating him for doing that to her. Kissing her as if saying goodbye and leaving her alone. But she's too busy wondering if she'll ever see him again to hate him.

"Yes," she whispers, surprising herself. She hadn't intended to answer the stranger's intrusive questions, but she suddenly has the urge to let everything out. "Right before he, uh, disappeared, he kissed me. I-I never got to t-tell him." She buries her face in her hands. "I'm such a coward. I should have gone after him, I should have not let the crew-"

The crew?" the old woman asks.

"I was the last one to board the boat," Kensi murmurs, "I tried to explain that they had to let me go after him, to find him, but they wouldn't let me." She blushes slightly. "I-I punched one of them, but they forced me on the boat."

"Without him."

"Yes." She squeezes her eyes shut again. "I left him behind. My partner, my friend-"

"You had no choice," the woman points out kindly. "He might have gotten onto another boat."

Kensi can't tell the woman the truth. That in actuality right before being forced onto the boat she had lost contact with Deeks, who confirmed that he was in pursuit of Mason Scott. She can't tell the woman that she heard something akin to a gunshot before losing contact. She can't tell the woman that he could very well be at the bottom of the ocean, bleeding out from a gunshot wound.

"Maybe," she murmurs softly, staring back out of the window.

She's never watching Titanic ever again.

"Kensi?" Hetty's voice comes through the earpiece. "Are you alright?" Kensi turns hers all the way on, boosting the signal.

"I'm alive," she murmurs. "Deeks?"

"Still haven't been able to make contact," comes Eric's voice, "Sorry, Kensi. He's completely off the grid."

Kensi's hands ball into tight fists and she digs her nails into her palms. Deeks once joked about her being cursed when it came to partners . . . Dom was bad enough but if she loses Deeks, if he isn't okay, if she never gets an explanation about that damn kiss . . .

"It's not your fault, Ms. Blye," says Hetty.

"I shouldn't have let him go, I-"

"He made his choice. Take care of yourself and contact us when you find him." With that, she disconnects and Kensi's eyes drift out of the window again, to see the sun just peeking over the horizon.

* * *

_"You know Deeks, you never told me where you would go," Kensi says at lunch, sipping her pina colada._

_"Go?" he asks._

_"For your honeymoon," she clarifies. "Where would you go?" Deeks arches an eyebrow._

_"Why are you asking? Marriage on your mind?" Kensi snorts._

_"Maybe, but you certainly aren't," she retorts. He laughs._

_"Ouch."_

_"Left yourself open and you know it."_

_"Yeah, I kinda did," Deeks chuckles toasting her. "Here's to your cleverness." She raises her glass and then narrows her eyes at her scruffy partner._

_"You haven't answered my question yet."_

_"You do that too," he points out, taking a sip from his drink._

_Kensi frowns. "Do what?"_

_"Change the subject to avoid answering a question," he responds. "Except you usually do it when it has to do with emotions or your shady, shady past, I only do it-"_

_"Right now?" Kensi interjects. "Come on, I told you mine. You owe me." She sips her drink and eyes him playfully, adding a flirtatious wink in just for fun. "Or . . . we could come up with another form of payback."_

_"And what kind would that be?" Deeks asks, eyes wide. Kensi reaches her arm over and traces her fingers down his forearm._

_"The kind where-" she says, her eyes dark and alluring. Deeks could be drooling and he would probably not notice it. Her hand grips his wrist and twists it, making him squeak. "-you tell me where you would go on your honeymoon."_

_"This feels kinky," he wheezes, and she lets his arm go. "Knew that would get you off of me."_

_"Deeks. Honeymoon."_

_"You wanna get married first, Kiki?"_

_"Deeks."_

_"Oh, alright. You want to know? I'd take my wifey to Disneyland." Kensi's mouth parts in surprise and then splits into a grin._

_"Wow Deeks, that's actually adorable. Why?"_

_"Never been." Kensi tilts her head to the side in confusion. "What?"_

_"You've never been . . . to Disneyland?" she asks, gaping._

_He chuckles sadly. "Kens, you're forgetting that I shot my dad when I was eleven and my mother was too depressed to even leave her couch after. How would I be able to go to Disneyland?" His voice carries no malice, but Kensi can't help but feel guilty._

_"I'm sorry," she murmurs. He shrugs._

_"Don't worry about it." They sit in an awkward silence for a while before Kensi speaks again._

_"Any other reason?" she asks._

_"The fireworks," he says after a moment. "The characters we all know and love. The happy atmosphere- it's a nice beginning for a marriage, don't you think?"_

_Kensi bites her bottom lip and regards him for a long moment, hoping her long eye contact doesn't come off as too meaningful to her sappy partner._

_"Yes," she says finally, "Yes it does."_

* * *

If there's one thing that will keep you from happiness, Kensi muses, it's regrets. And at the moment, she knows that she has plenty.

She should have told him. She should have showed him in whatever way possible. She should have done something, anything. Maybe if she had acted on these feelings she hadn't seen coming earlier Deeks wouldn't be missing.

Kensi wishes she could have noticed the feelings that had slowly begun to mingle with the annoyance her partner inspires in her. She could have stopped them, stopped this. She wouldn't have to be so damn worried and would probably get a lot more sleep. Internal conflict can make a person slightly testy. Especially at night, when the silence and darkness is overwhelming and your brain refuses to shut the hell up.

God, she sounds crazy.

She had never expected to fall for him. In her mind, she would fall for some suave, sophisticated smooth talker or, she might as well admit it, someone like Jack. Polite, courteous, a strong and silent type. Maybe that's why he managed to sleep under her walls so effortlessly. She'd been unprepared.

He's far from what she expects. Every single time. She just hopes he can defy the odds this time and be alright.

How many times has she missed her chance? Has he ever given her an opening for something more? God, she knows the answer to that. Of course he has, because he's Deeks and in hindsight, he's probably been a lot more open to their thing than she has.

Would her fellow passengers think she was crazy if she slapped herself?

The boats are just coming ashore, where a rescue crew and several news cameras have amassed. Kensi takes a deep breath. Lonely, scared, beautiful women always get hounded by the not-so-sympathetic reporters desperate for a story. And reporters in Los Angeles are merciless.

The hatch opens and a young man wearing a bright orange vest pops his head in.

"Hey everyone, you ready to get out?" he asks. A chorus of yes's and cheers rings through the lifeboat, but Kensi can only bring herself to feebly pump her fist in the air once. "Okay, well, there's a ladder, so go on and just climb out one at a time. Don't rush, alright? I'll be here to help you the entire time."

Kensi stays in her seat as the couples all file out. The kind old woman and the skittish blonde and her fiancé are among the first to be allowed out of the now extremely stuffy boat.

"Miss?" She glances up to see bright-smile guypoking his head through the hatch. "You're the last one. Need help?"

"No, no, I'm uh, I'm fine!" she replies hastily. She stands up and brushes herself off before wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. She climbs up the ladder but her legs are extremely stiff, so Mr. Smiley helps her to get to the boat's roof or top or whatever it's called.

"You good?" he asks as he helps her onto the shore.

"Yeah," she says, giving him a small smile of thanks.

"Medical tent is set up over there-" he says, pointing to a bright red canopy farther upt he shore. "You should get checked out and then if you're up for it, give NCIS a statement." Kensi perks up.

"NCIS?" she asks, bewildered.

"Yeah, weird, right? Apparently they had some agents or whatever aboard, so they need statements," he replies with a shrug.

"Who did they send?"

"Some big black guy and a serious white guy with a bad buzz cut." This draws a small laugh from Kensi, who thanks the man one more time before rushing off to find Sam and Callen.

They're nowhere to be seen, so she concedes a quick visit to the medical tent, which is bustling with activity. A kind-looking woman with sandy brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail approaches her.

"Any injuries?"

"No," Kensi replies.

"Could I give you a prelim check-up, just in case?" Kensi nods, and the doctor hands her a bottled water. "Drink this, you're dehydrated."

"How could you-"

"Your skin looks dry. Pinch it." Kensi does so. "See how it takes a while to settle back to how it was? That's a sign of dehydration. You haven't had access to much water all night, and I assume you had some alcohol last night?"

"Only a little-"

"Even a little needs water to balance it out. But that's not your fault. Drink." Kensi opens the bottle and takes a long gulp while the doctor examines her. "You come here alone?" she asks conversationally.

"No." It's a bit sharper than she needs it to be, but she did not need the reminder of her lost partner. The doctor regards her for a moment.

"Husband?"

"Partner," she replies shortly. The doctor looks surprised, but adopts a poker face.

"Ah." Wait, she doesn't think-OH.

"M-male partner!" Kensi affirms quickly, realizing what she sounded like. The doctor shrugs.

"You together?"

"Might-might not get a chance," Kensi murmurs, feeling the tears coming on again and inwardly cursing herself.

"What does he look like? I might have seen him." Kensi's angered by the cool calmness in the doctor's voice.

"Blonde, kinda like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Tall-ish, kind of gangly and muscular at the same time." _Might have suffered from gunshot wounds._

The doctor thinks for a long moment. "I'm sorry, haven't seen him. I could ask around and-"

"Don't bother," Kensi snaps, allowing herself to lash out a little. The doctor takes a deep breath.

"I must seem heartless to you," she murmurs, "But I can't emotionally invested in things like this. I help you most by keeping a level head." The words are familiar, Kensi's said them countless times before the disgruntled families of victims. She hates being on the other side.

"I know," she murmurs finally. "Can I go now?"

"Get that bump on your head checked out. You didn't lose consciousness, correct?"

"Right."

"Good. I don't believe it's a concussion, then. Get it checked out soon anyways, just to be careful." She pauses. "I'll keep an eye out for your partner."

"Thank you," Kensi whispers, standing up and walking out of the makeshift medical center. The sky is completely gray now, the beautiful sunrise has faded into a bleak gray morning. The clouds vary in shades, and a crisp and unforgiving breeze bites at her skin. She pulls the blanket tighter around herself.

As she walks by a few Coast Guard men, she listens in to hear if they have anything new.

"Yeah, they found a body just floating. Male, mid-thirties, a few rounds in the chest. Little pool of blood around him."

"CGIS gonna investigate it?"

"Naw, apparently NCIS stormed in and took over."

"Weird."

Kensi's knees buckle underneath her and she collapses to the ground. "Oh my God, Deeks-" she whispers.

"Ma'am?" one of the Coast Guard men approaches her, crouching down beside her. Kensi ignores him, standing up.

"Deeks!" she screams desperately. A few people in the crowd near the medical tent turn and give her odd looks. "DEEKS!" Nothing.

She collapses again, holding back the tears.

"Ma'am, we need to get you to-"

"I'm FINE!" she shrieks to the poor man, running off, away from the men speaking to cooly about the dead body that belongs to her partner, away from it all.

She sits in a secluded section of the beach, staring at the dismal waves as they crash against the shore. Several Coast Guard boats have gathered where she assumes the ship was when it capsized.

She sees that nobody's around, so she allows herself to finally cry. She let Deeks down by not telling him, by letting him go. She let him down by not going after him. She let him down by never telling him.

The tears stream down her face and her entire body starts shaking with the force of her crying. She tightens the blanket and pulls her legs in, allowing her hair to fall in front of her face.

The self-loathing and misery come and go in waves. One moment she's sobbing and the next she is digging her nails into her palms as her hands ball into fists.

"I don't think I'll be able to surf today."

Kensi allows her mouth to fall open, but she can't bring herself to turn around, half-afraid she'll see nothing.

"You gonna turn around, Kens?" She desperately wants to, but she can't.

"No."

"Okay then." She closes her eyes and feels the sand move beside her. A hand brushes her cheek and then cups it, turning her face towards his. "I'm here, Kens. Open your eyes."

"You might disappear," she whispers.

"I'm not going anywhere." She takes a deep and shaky breath.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

So Kensi Blye takes a leap of faith and opens her eyes.

He's there, in the flesh. He has bags under his blue eyes and he looks a little banged up, but he's there and he's alive and-

She really wants to kiss him right now.

And she's tired of this whole will she, won't she thing. She's not going through this again, not having regrets. Never again.

So she closes the short space between herself and Deeks and brings their lips together, her hand moving up to gently cradle his face and her other hand tangling in his hair and pulling his face closer. His other hand grabs the other side of her face and cradles it gently, reverently as he deepens the kiss.

She doesn't want to pull away, but she does eventually, because she does have to sort of breathe. She pulls him into a tight hug instead, burying her face in his neck. His hands draw soothing circles on her back and he whispers sweet and soothing nothings into her ear.

"We'll talk about . . . this later," Kensi murmurs, "Not now."

"Cool."

"Cool? I've been thinking you were dead all morning and all you can say after that kiss is cool?" Deeks chuckles.

"Well Kens, not all of us can go into a long and angry rant."

"Unfair."

"Life isn't fair." Kensi grins and presses a kiss to his neck, savoring the shiver that elicits from him.

"So what happened, Deeks?" she asks, pulling away from the embrace but remaining in his arms (because it feels very nice). "They said there was a body . . . I heard gunshots before we lost conta-oh! I need to contact-"

"Sam and Callen? I already found them. Don't worry."

"You found them before me?" she asks accusingly, arching an eyebrow.

"In my defense, I was looking for you when I ran into them!" he says, "Please don't hit me."

"I'm not going to hit you. Go on." He studies her carefully for a moment before continuing.

"He started shooting at me. I pursued him through the hallways, and eventually we got to an empty deck. I shot him three times, I think."

"So he's the body they were talking about."

"Yeah. I went over to his body to see if he was carrying any information. Computer chips, files . . . and guess what I found."

"I'm in no mood to guess."

"Understandable." He winks. "He had this." Deeks pulls out a small leather pouch and tosses it to her. She opens it up and reaches in, gasping at what she feels. She pulls out a small yet undeniably high grade diamond, one of probably thirty or forty.

"Oh my God," she whispers. "They were-"

"Jewel thieves."

"Wow," she murmurs, handing the pouch back to him. "So why didn't you return?"

"I did," he says earnestly, "But I was too late. You were gone. I had to flash my badge to get information on whether you were safe yet." He leans in and gives her a quick peck on the lips. "I was on the last boat off, with the crew. The ship capsized probably fifteen minutes after we got off."

"Oh my God," Kensi mutters, pulling him in for another kiss, and loving the fact that she can do so. "If I wasn't so relieved you're alive, I would kill you now."

And of course, Deeks being Deeks, decides to push. "You know Kens, If I'd have known a sinking ship would make you come to your senses, I-"

"Don't push it." He regards her for a long moment.

"Don't plan on it," he murmurs before leaning in and capturing her lips once more.

* * *

**Oh, come ON. Did y'all really think I would ever kill Deeks?**

**Thanks for joining me on this story, i love and appreciate every single one of you. :) All my love,**

**-Gab**


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